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ISLAMABAD:
The government has decided to commence groundwork on the Karachi-Rohri segment of the Karachi-Peshawar mainline (ML-1) in July next year.
The government had secured a $2 billion financing package from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the project, aiming to complete it before December 2028 to facilitate transportation from the multi-billion-dollar Reko Diq Copper and Gold Project.
Planning Minister Professor Ahsan Iqbal chaired a review-meeting on key Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects in the railways, highways and water sectors, directing the relevant ministries to prioritise timely execution, quality assurance, and realistic financial planning for the next three years to ensure delivery of nationally critical infrastructure.
The meeting, held here, reviewed major transport and water-sector interventions under PSDP 2025-26, a news release said on Saturday.
The meeting also reviewed the upgradation of 884 kilometres of Main Line-3 (ML-3) and the Thar Coal Railway Connectivity Project, a strategic initiative aimed at improving logistics for energy supply and industrial development.
The Thar Coal Railway Connectivity Project, with an estimated cost of Rs53.7 billion, consists of three packages, including construction of a new single-track railway line from the Thar coal mines to the new Chorr station over a distance of 105 kilometres, a new double-track line of approximately nine kilometres from Bin Qasim to Port Qasim, while package III covers the development of a coal unloading pit at Port Qasim and Lakhra Power Plant station. The project is expected to be completed by June 2026.
Iqbal directed the Ministry of Railways to submit a clear assessment of funding requirements for the next three years.
The meeting also reviewed the National Highway Authority’s portfolio under PSDP 2025-26, which comprises 71 projects with a total cost of approximately Rs3,407 billion.
Under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, the Minister emphasized Sambrial-Kharian-Rawalpindi motorway, M-8 in Balochistan, and Mashkel-Panjgur-Chadgi road projects as high-priority initiatives requiring accelerated implementation.
The meeting also reviewed major water-sector projects under PSDP 2025-26, which comprise 34 projects with a total approved cost of Rs1,848 billion. Key projects discussed included the Dasu Hydropower Project, Diamer-Bhasha Dam, Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project, Chashma Right Bank Canal, Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project, and the K-IV water supply project for Karachi.
